Dear Wildmind Subscriber,

Our previous newsletter was supposed to be the last for 2002, but we felt we just had to slip in one more before the end of the year to let you know about a couple of new developments. You may notice that this newsletter has the theme of "Lovingkindness," which is very appropriate for this time of year.

Have a great holiday season and a wonderful New Year!

Best wishes,
Bodhipaksa

Life Member Program Sale

Life Member Program -- only $50

What a great gift this would make!

Our lifemember program offers lifelong access to all of our course materials, (but without the personal feedback and guidance you'll get on our courses). This is ideal for students who want a self-guided course of study.

This is amazing value for just $50. But this special low rate will only apply for the next seven days, do be sure to sign up soon.

Oh, and did we forget to mention that all Lifemembers receive a free meditation CD?

For more information, visit this page.

Give the Gift of Meditation

What better gift can you give than peace of mind. Meditation has been clinically proven to relieve stress, anxiety, and depression. If you'd like to give a meditation course, Life Membership, or Meditation CD to someone you care about, then visit our online store.

Remember: when you are making your purchase, make sure you put your friend's name, address, and email into the "Ship to" part of the form. We'll send you a certificate that you can pass on to your friend.

Last month we posted a list of new pages on the site, but one of the links had a mistake in it. You can check out this page at:

• Meditation for the very busy

We're hard at work putting some new material together, and we'll send you details in our January newsletter.

Book of the month

Lovingkindness: The Revolutionary Art of Happiness

by Sharon Salzberg

Sharon Salzberg has been a student of Buddhism since 1971, and has been leading meditation retreats worldwide since 1974. She teaches both intensive awareness practice (vipassana or insight meditation) and the profound cultivation of lovingkindness and compassion (the Brahma Viharas). She is a cofounder of the Insight Meditation Society in Barre, Massachusetts, the Barre Center for Buddhist Studies and The Forest Refuge, a new center for long term meditation practice.

This compassionate and wise book is the most extensive guide available to the Buddhist practice of Metta Bhavana, or Lovingkindness.

If you're interested in buying this book from Amazon.com, click on the cover or title above. By buying Amazon's books through Wildmind, you'll help to support the work we are doing.

Quote of the month

This month's quote is Bodhipaksa's translation of the Buddha's beautiful "Discourse on Lovingkindness" (Metta Sutta), excerpted from his forthcoming book, Wildmind: A Step-by-Step Guide to Meditation.

The Metta Sutta

This is what ought to be done by one who is skilled in discerning what is good, who has understood the path to peace.

He should be able, upright, and straightforward, of good speech, gentle, and free from pride,

Contented, easily satisfied, having few duties, living simply, of controlled senses, prudent, without pride and attachment to clan.

Let him not do the slightest thing for which the wise might rebuke him; instead thinking, "May all beings be well and safe, may they be at ease."

"Whatever living beings there may be, whether moving or standing still, without exception, whether large, great, middling, or small, whether tiny or substantial,

"Whether seen or unseen, whether living near or far, Born or unborn; may all beings be happy.

"Let none deceive or despise another anywhere. Let none wish harm to another, in anger or in hate."

Just as a mother would guard her child, her only child, with her own life, even so let him cultivate a boundless mind for all beings in the world.

Let him cultivate a boundless love for all beings in the world, above, below, and across, unhindered, without ill will or enmity.

Standing, walking, seated, or lying down, free from torpor he should as far as possible fix his attention on this recollection.

This, they say, is the divine life right here. Not falling into false opinions, virtuous and endowed with vision, having abandoned sensuous greed, he surely is never again reborn.